Label positioning apparatus



Oct. 9, 1962 w. swARTz LABEL POSITIONING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 14, 1956 CEMENT/A6 A3 iv m l'- 67,; .FJ E 3 /4 JONES JONES ONES .JONES JONES JNES IN VENTOR. M//LL /A/y SWA/WZ arent 3,057,073 Patented Oct. 9, 1962 hice 3,057,073 LABEL PGSITIONNG APPARATUS William Swartz, 337 Sumac Park, Highland Park, Ill. Filed Dec. 14, 1956, Ser. No. 628,460 2 Claims. (Cl. 33-180) name plate of contrasting color preferably metallic which I is more decorative than thecardboard. It is the name plate portion which is most effective when made in three dimensional form by an embossing process, for example.

Heretofore the only acceptable method of making good display plaques with a three dimensional name plate or similar portion has been by a process which may be called post finishing. By this post finishing process the display plaque is first embossed, then colored by rollers, air gun sprays with stencils or hand finishing. Post finishing is an awkward, clumsy and expensive process.

This invention is based on the discovery of a method whereby excellent three dimensional display items may be made by a prefnishing process, i.e., by first printing and later embossing. According to the process the name plate or similar portions to be embossed are separately printed in large numbers, then cut out and separately applied to the sheet from which the plaque is to beformed just prior to embossing the sheet. Heretofore, any method which printed prior to embossing was undesirable or impractical because it was impossible to obtain even fair registration between the printed portion (such as a name plate area) to be embossed and the portion which is actually ernbossed. By gang printing a multiplicity of the name plate portions separately from the cardboard backing the printing is done more accurately and at less expense. A special apparatus is provided for fixing the name plate or embossable sections to the backing in the proper position so that registration is always obtained.

Several factors may work against accurate registration in a prefinishing process. The fibers of the cardboard swell differently in different directions under the influence of moisture. Plastics which may form the entire background material in place of cardboard or which may be applied as a coating on the cardboard have an elastic memory which over long periods of time may distort the printed area. Where the stock must be die cut to unusual shapes the original point of registration is lost and this makes subsequent registration based on the new shape difficult or impossible. According to the present invention the stock is not completely die cut to form until after embossing, and the label or plate is cemented accurately upon the background just before the embossing step so that expansion or contraction due to losses in water content do not throw the plate out of registration. The name plate is treated with a glue just before being applied to the background so that it has a high proportion of water so that it embosses easily without tearing.

In the drawing FIG. 1 is a flow sheet setting forth the various steps of the process.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus for positioning the printed area to be embossed on the background sheet.

FIG. 2a is a cross sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 taken on line a-a of the latter.

FIG. 3 is a View showing how the areas to be embossed are printed.

FIG. 4 is a View of a finished plaque made according to the invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional View of the plaque taken on line 5 5 of FIG. 4.

As illustrated in the flow sheet of FIG. 1 the sheet 10 is first printed as shown at 11. This first printing is to provide the desired color effects in the non embossed areas. Thereafter the blank may be at least partially die cut without however separating the die cut portion from the blank as shown at 12 or the printed blank may have the name plate portion (to be embossed) cemented thereto before cutting as shown at 13. The printed panel or name plate 14 has glue 15 applied just before being positioned and cemented to the blank 10. After the name plate portion 14 has been applied to the background the assembly is heated or otherwise plasticized at 16 to make it moldable and is then immediately embossed in the area 14 as shown at 17 in an embossing machine having similar positioning blocks as those for the name plate locating means.

Thereafter the plaque is die cut or removed from the remainder of the blank as shown at 18. Additional finishing steps include painting the beveled edges, etc.

The device for locating the name plate area in the proper position is shown in FIG. 2 and comprises a flat base board 20 with two or more positioning studs 21, 22, 23 extending upwardly therefrom. Attached to one side of the baseboard 20 is a block 24 carrying in cantilever fashion a transparent strip 25 of approximately the same width as the height of the area to be embossed. This transparent cantilever 25 bears adjacent its end at least a portion 26 of the printed indicia of the name plate area 14. The cantilever 25 is spaced above the backboard 20 by block 24 a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the plaque blank 10 so that the plate 14 may be manipulated so that the indicia on the plate 14 exactly matches the corresponding indicia 26 of the cantilever 25. The contilever 2'5 is flexible so that it can be lifted up at the end if desired. The cantilever 25 may be narrower than the printed sheet to be attached at some areas as for example at 27 and 28. This facilitates the positioning of the printed sheet or name plate 14. Just before positioning the plate 14 on the blank 10, the former is coated with glue and may be lightly touched to the area close to where it is to be attached. After manually sliding the plate or area 14 in place as determined by matching the indicia 26 with that of the area 14 the latter is pressed into place.

Thereafter the blank 10 is heated `or otherwise placed in a more moldable condition if necessary and passed to the embossing machine. The embossing machine has studs located similarly to studs 2123 of the positioning device so that exact registration is obtained.

A completed plaque is shown in FIG. 4. A three dimensional figure 35 may be attached to the top of plaque 141. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the name plate 14 has been embossed and now has an outer bevel 30 and indicia 31 in relief.

The features and principles underlying the invention described above in connection with specific exemplifications will suggest to those skilled in the art many other modifications thereof. It is accordingly desired that the appended claims shall not be limited to any specific feature or details thereof.

I claim:

1. A device for exactly positioning a name plate having indicia thereon to be adhered to a portion of a substantially fiat blank for making a display device in which portions of the name plate are later molded to three dimensional form comprising a backboard having a substantially flat surface, a plurality of' fixed studs spaced along 3 and projecting from said surface, said studs being arranged along two lines at right tangles to each other which define two sides of a predetermined area on said surface of less extent than said surface which area is adapted to receive a substantially flat blank of relatively rigid ma- 5 terial, whereby the blank may be exactly positioned in said area by Contact with said studs, a block having a substantially at outer surface xed to said flat surface of the backboard, and positioned outside of said area, Said block projecting from said surface a distance somewhat greater than the thickness of the blank, a stationary horizontally extending arm of transparent material fixed at one end directly to the outer flat urface of said block and extending therefrom over said area and adapted to extend over said blank when said blank is positioned in said area, the 0pposite end of the arm being free, said arrn being sutiiciently rigid to be self-supporting and indicia corresponding to the indicia on the name plate on a portion of the arm extending over said area and blank, whereby when a blank is positioned in said area, a name plate may be inserted between the arrn and blank and the indicia thereon matched exactly with said indicia on the arm thereby exactly locating the name plate on the blank.

2. A device according to claim l wherein the arm is provided with reentrant portions adjacent said indicia to facilitate manipulation of said name plate in matching it with the indicia.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 730,300 Savory June 9, 1903 1,344,162 Arnold June 22, 1920 1,371,052 Post Mar. 8, 1921 1,759,989 Learnan May 27, 1930 1,954,033 Adams Apr. 10, 1934 1,985,480 Carpenter Dec. 25, 1934 2,133,357 Mazer Oct. 18, 1938 2,200,203 Heinz May 7, 1940 2,250,583 Krauter July 29, 1941 2,307,406 Howard Tan. 5, 1943 2,357,310 Burchell Sept. 5, 1944 2,531,660 Ziegler Nov. 28, 1950 2,588,079 Boehm Mar. 4, 1952 

